Check your TV oil, people.

Floridaloha

Had oil changed before my 2000 mile trip, didn't think to check it during...just got back and found out I was down to 1 qt. Don't be like me. 

Ramrod

That is a very serious symptom.

Ratkity

Usually an light comes on in most vehicles when it's down 2 qts. I'd have that checked too.

ScottG

Are you sure whoever changed it before the trip filled it properly? That much oil had to go somewhere. I expect you would have seen an obvious drip under the vehicle, or a whole lot of stinky blue smoke coming out of the tailpipe.

Photomom

You'd also think the temp gauge would run hot.

ericnliz

Floridaloha, I would have to agree with ScottG. Same thing happened to my brother this summer. Found out whoever changed the oil didn't tighten the oil filter properly. Needless to say, my brother was NOT a happy camper as he had two mountain passes to go over towing his boat, and his TV full of camping gear. My checklist always includes checking antifreeze level, tire pressure, oil level, power steering fluid level, and last, but not least transmission fluid level [found over the past years, folks ignore this important one a LOT].

Floridaloha

Good advice on what check and all that could have been the problem, thank you. I agree it was weird that no warning lights came on, and I did not notice any smoke or smell whatsoever while this was going on. I will discuss the warning light thing with the TV dealer. The mechanic said that no metal pieces were in the quart they drained. They changed the oil completely now and I will monitor it over the next few weeks to see if there are any leaks or problems. I'm hoping it doesn't need new seals, but the engine has never burned oil until this point. I did a Google search and found that others have had this problem when towing, that I should try not to drive at higher speeds or RPMs. I did notice the RPMs were higher when using the cruise control, so that is something I won't do any more.

Bottom line is that I will be a lot more careful to check oil and other fluid levels than I was before towing from this point forward!

irvingj

And what kind of vehicle was this?

Floridaloha

2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor, 6 cyl, awd, 67,000 miles at the start of the trip. It's been a fantastic car. I still have a year left on the warranty also, in case something big goes wrong.

irvingj

My "previous-lifetime-as-a-wrench-slinger" voice:

I would assume a normal oil change (with filter) on your V-6 Endeavor would be between 4 and 5 quarts of oil, yes? Being down one quart, even in a vehicle that doesn't normally use any oil, could be considered quite reasonable for an extended period of relatively high-rpm towing, working the engine. One quart out of 4 or 5, I wouldn't worry about, chalking that up to "extreme" usage. But still a good idea to keep track of it.

I doubt you've caused any significant damage to your engine, but yes, a good idea to check it often while on the road, especially while towing.

As an aside, it seems you've also realized that using cruise control can force the transmission and engine to work a bit harder, especially on a vehicle that might already be a bit stressed towing a load. Might be better to not use cruise and instead accelerate before the bottom of a hill and allow the vehicle to slow some during the climb, to avoid down-shifting of the automatic transmission (resulting in higher RPMs). Incidentally, this is what the "big rigs" do -- watch them. They only downshift when it becomes necessary, but still allow their rigs to slow during the climb to keep RPMs in a proper range.

In any case, an excellent idea to check those things -- and especially, as pointed out by Eric, the transmission fluid! (Also, smell the transmission dipstick-- if it smells like burnt toast, it probably is!)

wizard1880

Sorry, the thread title keeps throwing me off.  Like I need to check my blinker fluid or the radio's alignment.

But this thread's otherwise sage advice certainly is worth reading!

ChanW

I think it was down to one quart. Yikes, scary.

irvingj

Oops! You're right, Chan! Yes, that is definitely NOT good. Sorry I missed that little preposition.

ericnliz

Yeah, Down TO one quart, there's a definite problem somewhere that needs to be addressed immediately, if not sooner. Especially in a vehicle with that low of mileage. irvingj, I read it the first time and thought it was only down 1 quart as well, we must have the same reading glasses on! ChanW, thanks for setting us straight!  

Estancio

Well being rather precautions about vehicles, I check the oil myself each and every time I fill up with fuel. Simple routines like this can prevent a lot of potential damage.

irvingj

Yes, I used to always do that as well. Methinks we're getting spoiled! Since around 1990 or so, auto engines seem to last a lot longer and "checking oil isn't something required every time" -- I guess. But yeah, that used to be SOP, didn't it? Granted, towing is extreme duty, so we should go back to our old ways in that case, but I don't believe I've had a car that required checking the oil often because of "normal" use since I sold my '72 Blazer (307 CID V8) in 2003. (Yeah, I ran it for over 30 years….)

Think about it-- used to be only a few US engines were noted for consistently going over 100K without issues-- the MoPar 225 slant six, the Chevy 230 inline six, some small-block V8s…  These days, at least here in the Northeast, most cars' bodies rust off before the engine quits, usually well over 150K and often over 200K. And the majority of them still don't use oil!

So-- lesson learned here: if you're towing, even a relatively small T@B, keep an eye on that oil!

ericnliz

Estancio, & irvingj, My '72 1/2 ton Chevy is about 10,000 miles shy of 500,000. Uses about 1/2 Qt between oil changes, and no difference when towing. Check the oil, transmission, and radiator levels every time I get fuel. Good old habit, I guess. Same routine I use for our 2006 Avalanche. I know a few folks that probably haven't lifted the hood of their vehicle since they bought it. Guess the ways we were taught was to take care of what you have. Of course growing up in a rural area, and working on a lot of farms and ranches, maintenance was a normal daily thing for both equipment and vehicles.